S'mores & Secret Words: Sleepover - A McRoll in the REAL World Story
by Mari217
Summary: Catherine joins Grace at the Aloha Girla Friends & Family Sleepover, and Steve unwittingly wins a game.


_Sammy & Ilna: Ladies, who could ask for a better team? No one! Because you are the best! Still resorting to other languages to tell you, because I've said it 1,000 times in English. __Eres el mejor. At your request, after __Favorite__, here is your slumber party!_

_To our wonderful readers, reviewers, #REALMcRollers and friends, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the constant support & love!_

_Xoxo, Mari_

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**Sleepover**

**Scouting Campground  
Friday 6:30 p.m.**

Grace was practically bursting with excitement when she saw Catherine and Steve pull up to the area where the _Aloha Girls Friends and Family Sleep Over_ was about to begin.

"You're here!" Grace was bubbling. Before Catherine even stepped out of the truck, she practically tackled Steve in a huge hug. "Uncle Steve, what are _you_ doing here?"

She giggled when he said, "Hey, hey, I know, girls only weekend. Catherine's car wouldn't start and she didn't want to be late. So I'm the taxi." and planted a kiss on Grace's head.

"Thanks for getting her here on time!" Grace swiveled in Steve's hug when Catherine came up beside her and threw her arms around her aunt.

"Auntie Cath, it's gonna be so, so much fun! Thanks again for being my guest! I was afraid it was gonna land on your reserve weekend. Almost everyone has an aunt, or grandma or godmother here. Mom would have come if you weren't able to, but our guest isn't _really_ supposed to be our mom. It's to," Grace quoted the invitation "'invite our favorite extended family members to see what Aloha Girls are all about.' And so our troop members can meet our family."

Catherine kissed Grace's cheek. "I'm very glad you asked me. Let's get the supplies out of the truck and go meet up with your friends."

They'd pulled a grocery-filled duffel and Catherine's gear out of the truck when Steve said, "You two have fun." He kissed his favorite girls and climbed into the truck.

"Bye, Uncle Steve, kiss Cammie for me." Grace waved, and before Steve was ten yards away, she'd pulled Catherine towards the flagpole where other girls and their guests had begun to gather.

.

/

**Fifteen minutes later**

When Madeline, the troop leader explained that the girls should introduce their guests and tell a little about them, Grace's hand shot up to volunteer first. She stood and announced to her friends "My guest is my Auntie Catherine."

A chorus of voices echoed "Hi, Catherine!" and she smiled and waved from where she was sitting cross legged on the floor next to Grace.

"Hi, I'm really happy Grace invited me tonight. I hear this is the place to be." she said and a round of giggles filled the room.

"Tell us a little about your guest, Grace." The leader prompted. "And how you two are family or ohana."

"Auntie Catherine is my Uncle Steve's girlfriend." Grace started.

Some of the girls who had met Steve nodded. "He's my dad's best friend and partner. My dad's a detective. Most of you have met my dad, 'cause he chaperones a lot. He's second in command of the governor's task force." Grace added proudly. "Auntie Catherine is on the task force, too. And she's a lieutenant in the Navy Reserves. She served on active duty for 17 years." A smattering of applause and 'thank-yous' came from the crowd and Grace beamed while Catherine nodded her thanks.

"We have so much fun together. I've had sleepovers at her and Uncle Steve's house. And we go shopping and surfing and she's really cool and so I asked her to come meet everyone tonight." Grace finished and sat next to Catherine who pulled her into a hug while the next girl stood to introduce her sister in law.

/

**Scouting Campground  
Fire/cooking area #2 – 7:30 p.m.**

"This is gross." Grace sounded dejected. "We should have made hotdogs." She was staring into the required 'one pot meal' the girls had to make to acquire points. They were gathering points and there would be prizes for various skills.

Big brown eyes blinked at Catherine. "I'm sorry. This was a bad idea, huh?" Before Catherine could answer Grace continued. "Are you disappointed?" She said softly.

"No! Of course not, Grace, c'mon." Catherine gave her a one armed hug. She was stirring with the other hand. "We have a ton of snacks. Not to worry."

"No. I meant in me. I wanted to make something different. Everyone makes hotdogs and beans. You and Uncle Steve would never mess up a meal in the field." She used 'in the field' like it was part of her regular vocabulary. Catherine knew that was one hundred percent Steve's influence and she smiled.

"Grace Williams. I could _never_ be disappointed in you for trying something new! Neither could your Uncle Steve. This was a great effort. Innovation is _very_ important in the field. Now, let's salvage this and get some points." She lifted Grace's chin with two fingers. "Hey. You're good, right?"

Grace nodded with a smile. Catherine could see relief flood her face. That this wonderful child had come to love her and Steve and value their opinions so much made her grin ear to ear and she hugged Grace again.

Grace glanced into the pot. They'd attempted spaghetti in the one pot meal, which worked in theory, but they'd had to boil the pasta _in_ the gravy. It took a lot longer than water would have and the spaghetti was sticky and starchy. Catherine was determined to let Grace have a go at the idea and had gone along with the plan. She did, however have a contingency.

"Grace, grab the rolls." Catherine instructed. When Grace did as she was told and stood almost at attention next to her, Cath continued with a smile. "Okay. Here's what we're going to do. Cut the rolls and grab the parmesan cheese."

"What're we making?" Grace looked impressed and curious.

"Pizza!" Catherine announced as she scooped some of the sauce onto the halved rolls that Grace had placed on a platter. "Toss on some of that cheese. Here come the leaders."

"Very interesting choice, Grace and Catherine. And very yummy." Madeline told them. "You get nine points. I gave you an extra one for originality!"

"Yea!" Grace high fived Catherine. "Thanks. It was Auntie Cath's idea." She said to Madeline.

"Well, great job, _both_ of you." She grinned and went to check out the next offering.

Grace turned to Catherine. "That was awesome!"

"We rocked that. Great teamwork. Now, let's eat, because I don't know about you, but there are s'mores calling my name." Cath winked as they doused the fire, took their meal and headed for the common area to join the others and see who would be assigned as their cabin-mates.

/

**Cabin # 4  
9:00 p.m.**

"That's too many marshmallows!" Grace's friend Lainie giggled when Catherine suggested they squeeze in three instead of the normal one. "Nah, it's fine. You can have the first one." Catherine told her, and soon Lainie was counting out marshmallows for 'triple s'mores' as she and her sister-in-law sat on pallets next to Grace and Catherine.

"You rock, can we stick with you?" Lainie's sister-in-law, Margie laughed. A California blond in her mid-twenties with a runner's build, she'd laughed so hard at her own repeated failed attempts at the fire she offered all their marshmallows to Catherine if they could 'glom onto her fire skills'. "We'll pay you in chocolate!" Margie held out the bag of Hershey's miniatures. "Unless you have too much…"

Catherine laughed as she kneeled in front of the cabin's ancient fireplace. "Grace and I have a policy, tell her, Grace…"

"There's no such thing as too much chocolate!" Grace announced and fist bumped Catherine.

"Exactly! Stick with us." Catherine said before she told them to back away as she crawled into the chimney to open the flue. "Done." She dusted off her hands and stood back.

"Great, thanks!" Margie said and Judy echoed her appreciation. "Let's get them changed and settled. I, for one, am looking forward to donning my snazzy Mickey Mouse jammies." She laughed. Disney character pajamas was the theme of the weekend.

Grace popped up next to Catherine. "We have Belle for me and Donald Duck for Auntie Cath."

"A fellow sailor, huh?" Margie winked.

"Something like that." Catherine smiled and went to retrieve her bag to change.

/

Later that evening, with a fire roaring and the group of six sitting around on the cots they'd pulled into a circle, they were eating s'mores when the three girls announced after a whispered meeting that it was time for the games to begin.

"I have the _Book of Questions_!" Lainie announced. Her curly brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail that sprung up and down as she excitedly bounced in place. Shorter than Grace with an athletic look, her green eyes sparkled behind purple-framed glasses.

"_Book of Questions_?' Catherine asked Judy, who was there with Lucy, the young lady Steve had rescued from the lunatic last year. Judy was her mom's sister.

"It's a conversation starter book. Questions to get people talking. The girls love it. Madeline brings it on all the road trips." She laughed.

"You sound like a pro." Catherine smiled.

"This is my fifth time as a chaperone and guest. Lucy's my sister's youngest. We're buddies." Judy explained.

"Ah." Catherine nodded. "You two look alike." Judy and Lucy shared the same freckles and face shape and her light brown hair was probably once as blond as her niece's. "Grace is my friend's daughter. We're very close." Catherine said happily.

"Oh, I know exactly who you are." Judy whispered and laughed again. "You're my niece's former rival."

Catherine tilted her head in question.

"After he saved her last year, she told everyone she was going to marry Steve McGarret when she grew up. Once Grace explained he was taken by her Aunt Catherine, Lucy was quite bummed that he wouldn't be waiting for her." At Catherine's smile she continued "She's over him now. He may have been replaced by Luke Hemmings from the latest boy band."

Their conversation was interrupted by Grace saying "I'll go first!" and Catherine smiled. Grace definitely had her father's gift of gab.

/

Lainie read the first question. "If two of your favorite relatives, not your mom or dad, were drowning and you could only save one, who would you save and why?"

Grace kneeled up and said, "Well, I'm not counting my little brother because that's not right, he's only three, so my favorites are Auntie Cath," She looked at Catherine and grinned, "and my Uncle Steve. This one's kinda not hard because they're both super good swimmers but Uncle Steve's a Navy SEAL" Catherine detected the unmistakable hint of pride in Grace's voice. "I'd save Auntie Cath."

Grace moved to sit but Lainie asked, "Why, Grace? You gotta say why."

"Oh, okay. 'cause like I said he's a SEAL and unless he was hurt super bad he could save himself, but even if he wasn't a SEAL, I'd save Auntie Cath because Uncle Steve would want me to." She moved to sit next to Catherine on her cot and grinned up at her.

Catherine was actually fighting to not choke up at not only how considerate Grace was, but at how she assumed Steve would want her kept safe. She ran a hand through Grace's ponytail and gave her a slightly shaky smile.

After the other girls answered a question or two they decided the adults should play as well. Lainie, who Catherine quickly realized was the cheekiest of the group, flipped through the book and leveled her eyes on the adults, each in turn. "I got one. How old were you the first time you had sex?"

Grace and Lucy burst into giggles and Catherine said, "Sorry, inappropriate. Next question." At Lainie's look she added, "You get points for trying, Kiddo, I'll give you that."

"Oh, okay. How about how old were you when your period started?" Lainie tried again.

Catherine glanced at the other women and Margie and Judy shrugged. "I was ten." Margie answered.

"Ten! Wow that's _young_." Lucy exclaimed.

"Yeah, I hated it. I was in fifth grade and was super embarrassed by the whole thing." She looked at Lainie, "I hope you've got another year, Sissy."

"Sissy?" Grace asked.

"Yeah. When I started dating my husband, Lainie was only five. When she was my flower girl she told everyone we're each other's 'sissy' now. I thought it was the cutest thing ever and it stuck."

"And she's the _only_ one who gets to call me that." Lainie grinned. "If my brother Bobby did it I'd kill him."

"Awww that's _so_ cute!" Grace said. "My dad calls me Monkey. No one else does. I used to get embarrassed, now I love it. And Uncle Steve calls me Gracie. _He's_ the only one who calls me that. He's called me Gracie from the first time he met me. I think it's cool. It kinda makes me feel extra special."

Catherine smiled knowing Steve would be overjoyed to hear that. "What about you?" Brought her back to the game.

"Oh, I was thirteen, it was February so I was halfway to fourteen." Catherine said. "I was actually hoping it meant I was going grow some boobs."

The girls giggled when Judy nodded at her own ample chest. "I'd have leant you some of mine."

The next question was; how long does it take you to get ready in the morning? Catherine's answer made the girls giggle again.

"_Nine_ minutes? Not ten? Did you time yourself?" Margie inquired. She's said forty five minutes.

"Nine." Catherine confirmed. "I was in the military my entire adult life. You learn to move fast. And nine is as a civilian. It includes drying my hair." She winked.

"Okay," Margie laughed and grinned at Lainie. "Never tell your brother that, he'll divorce me and chase after a navy woman." Judy joined the others in laughter. She'd thought she was quick when she'd get it down to twenty minutes.

Grace read the next question. "What is your earliest childhood memory?"

Judy answered first. "I remember my baby brother being brought home from the hospital. I was four."

"Ha! That was Uncle Phil! Did you like him?" Lucy asked.

"I loved him. I was so excited; I thought they'd gotten him just for me." She chuckled. "I wanted to put him in my doll cradle." She looked at Catherine and Margie. "He's forty this year. Funny how I'm still 29." She winked at her niece.

Grace's answer to the first memory question was, "I remember being at my Nonna's. Nonna is my Grandma Clara's mom, my _great_ grandma. It was Christmas Eve and I was sitting on my Dad's lap drinking cocoa and he was all excited because our whole family was there. He kept telling me to 'Wave, Monkey!' because Grandpa was taking a million pictures." Grace sighed. "If I close my eyes, I can kinda smell the house. The cookies and all." Her smile was infectious.

"Awww that soooo sweet!" Lucy said. And Lainie nodded.

"Know what?"" Grace beamed. "We're going to Nonna's for Christmas! We haven't spent Christmas with my dad's family since I was seven."

"That sounds wonderful, Grace." Judy told her.

"I can't wait. And," She swiveled to look at Catherine. 'Auntie Cath and Uncle Steve are coming!"

"Cool! Where's your Nonna live?" Lucy asked.

"New Jersey!"

"Ohh, girl, bring your snow boots!" Maggie said and the others nodded.

"One more!" The girls said when Judy told them they should wrap up soon.

"Last one." Judy skimmed the book. "Who do you trust the most?"

When they started with Catherine, "Steve." left her lips before she'd finished hearing the rest of the question. She smiled to herself.

"And why?" Judy added with a grin.

"He's the first one I'd go to with anything. For anything. Since we met. He's never let me down."

"Catherine?" Maggie winked. "_That_ one's a keeper."

Catherine nodded and ducked her head slightly to hide her huge smile. That had just slipped out. She didn't mean to be so … detailed with her answer.

They went around the circle and ended with Grace's "My dad, 'cause he'd do anything for me." And the girls agreed to change games.

"The secret word game!"

"Yeah!"

"Cool!"

Catherine looked at Judy and Margie with a shrug. "How do you play?"

Lainie explained. "Well, you call up your boyfriend or husband or best friend or whoever and you have to get them to say three words without telling them why. Just with a conversation. It can't be the principal or your boss or anything."

Grace giggled "Uncle Steve is her boyfriend _and_ her boss."

"Ohhh. Really? I saw him drop you off. He's cute!" Lainie said, and then she turned to Lucy. "Right, Lucy?"

Lucy turned crimson. "He is cute but he's super nice, too. He saved me, Lainie. From really bad men. So I had a … little crush on him for awhile."

"Awww, Lucy, I just meant you knew him." Lainie jumped up and ran to hug her friend. "I didn't wanna upset you, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Lucy glanced at Catherine. "It was only for a little while. My counselor said even adults crush on people who rescue them."

Catherine reached across and touched Lucy's hand. "That's totally true and perfectly okay. And wanna know a something? Steve told me you were very, very smart and brave."

Lucy beamed. "Thanks."

"And besides," Grace said "_Everyone_ gets a crush on Uncle Steve."

The girls all giggled and Catherine laughed along with them. "Aright, are we playing or what?"

After Margie and Judy both took a shot at getting their husband and boyfriend to say their designated words it was Catherine's turn.

"You get to go last 'cause you're new!" Lainie said.

"Whatever you say." Catherine grinned.

"And 'cause I like you and you're cool."

"Flattery, huh?" Catherine's smile grew. She was delighted that Grace's friends had so readily accepted and liked her. "Let's do this. What are my words?"

"Let's see …" Lainie gathered with the others and came up with three words. "Call your boyfriend and get him to say: eggs, brother, and oil. Remember, fastest time wins."

"Eggs, brother, and oil? Okay, good to go."

"Margie laughed. "He'll definitely beat _us_. Can you believe it took my husband _four_ minutes to say bacon? The big goof, it's his favorite food."

"Remember, Catherine, you can't ask a direct question." Lucy reminded her.

"Are you ready, Auntie Cath?" Grace was bouncing on her knees.

"Ready. Hey," Cath stopped before she hit speed dial #1 "What if it goes to voicemail?"

The girls groaned in unison. "Awww. He's not _home_?"

"He should be, but if he met up with Grace's dad for dinner or picked up a case or if he's out with our dog …" Catherine knew Steve would pick up unless it was impossible but she was stretching out the fun.

"Then leave a voicemail and you play when he calls back." Lainie instructed. "Oh, and remember to put him on speaker. So we know when he says the secret words."

Catherine wanted to laugh, but nodded seriously. The girls were so into the game it reminded her of slumber parties when she was a teenager. "Here we go." She noticed Grace's crossed fingers and winked. "I got this Grace, no problem."

Steve picked up on the third ring. "Hey. Everything okay? I didn't expect to hear from you."

"Everything's good. Say hi, you're on speaker." Catherine clued him in.

A chorus of "Hiiiii Steeeeeve!" blended with Grace's "Hi, Uncle Steve!"

"Uh, hi?" Steve sounded confused and Catherine smiled at the expression she knew was crossing his face.

"What are you doing?" Cath asked.

"What am I … I _know_ you can't all be bored enough that you're interested in what I'm doing. What are _you_ doing? Top secret sleepover games?" He teased.

"We're not playing checkers." Cath said lightly, then continued with, "Hey, I think we should get takeout Sunday night. We don't have much in the house and I'm not going to feel like food shopping when I get home."

"We could do that. I did run by the Food Mart after I dropped you off, though. I got juice, we were out. And fruit and eggs."

The girls all clapped silently and Grace gave Catherine a thumbs-up.

"Great. Did you look at my car?"

"Yeah. It's fixed."

"Really?"

"Of course, _really_." He said proudly.

"I put in that Castrol Syntec 20W-50 on Wednesday. I've never used it before." She sighed audibly. "Maybe I should have stuck to the Valvoline VR1?"

"Nah, Castro has the same concentration of ZDDP that you'd need to protect the older engine as your usual oil. I swapped out your battery. Started like a charm." Steve sounded pleased. And Grace was doing a little dance of joy at his use of the word 'oil'.

"You got me a battery? Thanks."

"No problem. I ran by Chin's cousin's place. He stayed open till I got there. I took Cammie. Otherwise she'd have sat at the door waiting for you."

"Oh, my poor girl, tell her I miss her, too." Catherine could picture Steve taking the dog so she wouldn't feel lonely. Softie. "By the way, they're having a sibling day fundraiser at the Children's Wing of Queens. I read an email about it. I think we should go."

"Sibling day? Mary's in L.A."

"Doesn't have to be a _blood_ sibling. I'm gonna ask Carrie." Catherine's roommate from the Academy was currently T.A.D. at Pearl and the women were was having fun being in the same hemisphere. "There's a picnic and contests and stuff."

"Okay, I'll see if Danny's free." Steve's voice perked up. "Do the contests have _prizes_?"

"Yes, Mister Competition. Contests with prizes."

"Great. 'Cause what's the use of bringing a brother if he can't help me win?"

"Yea!" Grace yelled and started dancing across the room.

"What the…?" Steve began but Grace cut him off.

"You won! You won, Uncle Steve!"

"Won? Won what? Catherine, what the f …"

"Steve! _Speaker_!"

"What the _heck_ are you talking about?" The laughter and cheers of the others made Catherine grin as Steve said, "Take me off speaker, please?"

"Let's give Catherine a minute. C'mon girls, everyone clean up the snacks. Time for lights out soon." Judy nodded at Catherine, who stepped outside to finish the call.

"Still there?" She chuckled. "Steve?"

"_Catherine_? What was that?" He chuckled.

"_That_ was a game. I had to get you to say three words in a conversation." She full on laughed.

"Hey, I played along. _Checkers_."

"Yes you did." She'd used their old code for 'play along, I'll explain later' and he'd done exactly that. "Grace is thrilled. Thanks."

"Wait, we won? What'd we win?" Steve inquired and Cath could picture his eyes alight with his competitive streak.

"Don't know actually. Bragging rights, maybe?"

"Oh." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I think I deserve a _real_ prize."

"Miss me, huh?" She teased.

"Always." He said seriously, then lightened. "But since I was engaged in a competition without my full knowledge and consent. I should be … appropriately compensated."

Catherine heard Grace calling her name and she turned and looked back at the cabin door. "I gotta go, Grace's calling me. _Compensation_ on Sunday." She gave a low chuckle.

"Promise?"

"Count on it. I miss you, too."

/

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_End. Thanks for reading! Mari  
_

_For a list of all the REAL World stories, McRollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com has links to all the REAL World fics in one place._


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